[Myers1981]

Hey guys!

So I have a lease that's being turned in this May. I was thinking about an LCI X3M 2022-2023 30k miles for around 60k budget. The issue is I drove a few and while they were very fun and fast that's not an accurate representation of living with it as a daily driver. I don't need a ton of room as it's only my wife and our 10 year old daughter but i'm wondering of the thrill of the x3m will wear off and then im just left with a daily driver that isn't that great to road trip/travel to work/weekend tasks in.

I then thought about the X5M but it's a bit out of budget and probably leads to a similar discussion with the ride quality for a daily driver.

I then read a car and driver article about the X5 M50I and thought this could be a great mix of everything and the perfect daily. I even saw there are tunes for it that can bring the horsepower close to 700

I guess I just wanted to know for all of the owners that have had their X5's for a while are you happy with it's performance/ride and any regret not going with the full M since the M50I is so close to the X5M anyway.

Thanks and looking forward to potentially joining the gang.

[BlkGS]

I did that exact shopping. X3M was too small. X5M was like 20k more. M50i was every bit as fast and sporty as X3M with DHP, with a MUCH nicer interior, much nicer features, and frankly similar fuel economy.

X5M, I sometomes wish I had held out for. I think there are a handful of features you can't get in X5M you can in M50i? Maybe that was a year specific thing, I dunno..but it seemed like I couldnt find any with all the luxury features.

For me, the full M felt too similar to the M50i to justify. M50i was my Goldilocks. I don't regret not going M, if I had any regret it would be not getting a Durango Hellcat. The X5 is great, but even the full M was just too smooth. I prefer a bit more of a raw muscle car feel, the Hellcat delivers that in spades... But falls well short in features and tech and interior layout. Also the Durango was like, a lot more money for a fairly negligible performance difference.

Also keep in mind, the M50i is rated at 520hp. That's what it makes at the wheel, so really it's like 600hp.crank.

[MOTOP]

If you want power and speed - go electric.
If you want luxury- go for M50i.

I got both. No regrets. Don’t feel like a “garage monkey” with 50 cars, but trust me, any X5M is kinda standing still when i push the pedal in my 4-motor Rivian

[sharkymcpeterson]

I’m pretty happy with the performance-this is what I’m getting out of the m50. Racechip is the only mod. Notice the 1foot rollout 0-60 time of 3.37.

Top end is 155, could remove the limiter and probably get 180-190 out of it.

And, what no iPad on wheels can do……it sounds like heaven.

[Phizzzle]

We crossed shopped between the two and went with an X5 M60i. The X5 felt more luxurious, spacious, and less rough/stiff. We also have a toddler and the X3M just felt cramped and barely fit the stroller, groceries, and everything else in between. According to a few sales guys, the X3M is also one of the more traded in cars due to folks not really knowing what they got themselves into. I believe them since there was a ton of those cars on the lot. Even with the nearly 10% off MSRP our dealer offered on one of those we still passed.

X5 M50/M60 is the goldilocks like blkgs said. Also, we had a Hellcat Charger before and while the guttural sound never got old, the 5-8 MPG sure did. Lol.

[Myers1981]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Any concern with the hot V motors in the X5 compared to the S58 which is proven to be reliable. Few of my BMW friends all keep telling me to avoid the V8 due to reliability issues long term since whatever I purchase I plan to keep for a long time.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by MOTOP

If you want power and speed - go electric.
If you want luxury- go for M50i.

I got both. No regrets. Don’t feel like a “garage monkey” with 50 cars, but trust me, any X5M is kinda standing still when i push the pedal in my 4-motor Rivian

Seriously? It’s that friggin fast?
I’ve heard for years about the torque, never have driven one (and honestly not on my list), but against and X5M even? Wow.
Was in Lake Tahoe last year - north lake. Kid you not, don’t think I saw one Tesla. Saw a sh** ton of Rivians though. Also saw few if any chargers 🤣. Trust me..was looking for both.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by Myers1981

Thanks for the replies everyone. Any concern with the hot V motors in the X5 compared to the S58 which is proven to be reliable. Few of my BMW friends all keep telling me to avoid the V8 due to reliability issues long term since whatever I purchase I plan to keep for a long time.

S motors are never reliable. That said, the current gen N63TU3 has less known issues than the B58. The B58 has a small handful of oil related issues that the N63 doesn't.

All BMW motors require more upkeep than like, an LS3. They just have a different design philosophy. If you want something that will last indefinitely, get a 392 Durango and do an AFM delete. You can't be at an OHV V8 for longevity with minimal upkeep.

I have one complaint about the M50i that I likely wouldn't have with a full M. The exhaust. There's like, no exhaust sound normally. If you get on it, you get sound, but if you are just cruising around town, it's like, silent. I could go for a lot more exhaust sound. That's fixable with an exhaust for $2-6k, and you can do stuff to keep the exhaust flaps open, but I could use a lot more sound.

My other complaints wouldn't be solved with a full M, or an X3M.

All that said, if you're gonna consider an X3M, you owe it to yourself to drive a Stelvio QF. It's SO MUCH MORE FUN. The steering in them is insane. The motor sounds good (for a 6), something the X3M cannot say. They're a little smaller, but nicer inside and frankly I felt like their interior space was more practical. I know, it's an Alfa, who wants to own one of those long term? You could say the same thing about a BMW.

[Jbh165nc]

I had a 2020 X3M. It was fun when you wanted it to be. However as a daily it was too much. I took it to the mountains and a track day - super fun and capable for what it is! Driving the kids to school, getting groceries, not so much fun.

My current m50 is the sweet spot. Bigger, more comfortable, more amenities. It can still be fun when you want.

I avoided railroad crossings bc the x3m suspension is so tight and it’s a rattle trap.

M50 cruises over everything. Sounds great and is fun when you get on it. Plush cruiser for everything else.

If I could do it over again I would have just started with the m50

[PNWM50I]

After 3.5 years of ownership, this is one vehicle I’ve thoroughly enjoyed as my daily.

[Photographer918]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

I did that exact shopping. X3M was too small. X5M was like 20k more. M50i was every bit as fast and sporty as X3M with DHP, with a MUCH nicer interior, much nicer features, and frankly similar fuel economy.

X5M, I sometomes wish I had held out for. I think there are a handful of features you can't get in X5M you can in M50i? Maybe that was a year specific thing, I dunno..but it seemed like I couldnt find any with all the luxury features.

For me, the full M felt too similar to the M50i to justify. M50i was my Goldilocks. I don't regret not going M, if I had any regret it would be not getting a Durango Hellcat. The X5 is great, but even the full M was just too smooth. I prefer a bit more of a raw muscle car feel, the Hellcat delivers that in spades... But falls well short in features and tech and interior layout. Also the Durango was like, a lot more money for a fairly negligible performance difference.

Also keep in mind, the M50i is rated at 520hp. That's what it makes at the wheel, so really it's like 600hp.crank.

I looked hard at Durangos a couple of times - and could never get over the late 80s/early 90s Dodge Caravan vibes it gave me. (Drove my bosses Caravan to a bunch of camera shows in the late 90s; may have just been flashbacks….)

[smyles]

For a daily M50i is excessive. Poor mileage, high cost of consumables, and except for few occasions you'll probably be using ~25% of available power. Actually, I find poor mileage annoying even for the road trips (especially coming from 30+ MPG 3.5d). Higher valuation also means higher property taxes (if applicable) and insurance costs.

So given you've mentioned "on a budget", I'd seriously look at more practical options.

But is M50i a great performance vehicle? Absolutely.

[blake6551]

I owned a 2022 X5 M50 and 2023 X5MC. There isn't an appreciable power difference between them IMO. Handling, ride quality and interior details are dramatically different, but so is the price. I loved both of them.

If you like stiff, sporty vehicles and the cost isn't an issue I'd get the M everytime. The seats for me were dramatically more comfortable as well.

[PNWM50I]

Our M50i avg is 17.9 and I gas up every 7 days. Our 40i avg is 22.3 and we can go a day or two longer before a refill. Our commute is 30% primary roads and 70% freeway if I had to break it down.

The M50i, generally, is excessive because you don't really need that much power on a daily basis. I bought the M50i because I wanted the power (our 40i is plenty quick) and some fun on the road.

[thereef510]

Originally Posted by smyles

For a daily M50i is excessive. Poor mileage, high cost of consumables, and except for few occasions you'll probably be using ~25% of available power. Actually, I find poor mileage annoying even for the road trips (especially coming from 30+ MPG 3.5d). Higher valuation also means higher property taxes (if applicable) and insurance costs.

So given you've mentioned "on a budget", I'd seriously look at more practical options.

But is M50i a great performance vehicle? Absolutely.

This is a valid point, it has gobs of power but how much of it will you actually use on a daily basis, in rush hour traffic? Flooring a few times when you first get it feels magical, but like everything else, that feeling fades fast, and then you’ll just be flooring it to the gas station every wheel. And no matter how gravity defying, no SUV will ever replace a dedicated low profile sports car.

[suitedcboy]

I have adrenaline response that is sensitive to the resonant frequency of V8 engines making a lot of power. All the practical answers are exactly that, practical and wise and much higher on cost efficient scale. BUT, I car not one twit about the screen at my memorial showing "RIP XXXXX, You were sensible and cost effective"
Go for the M50i, it will get you small nod for sensibility compared to X5M but still make your face hurt from the V8 machismo.

[Tru Vic3]

Originally Posted by thereef510

This is a valid point, it has gobs of power but how much of it will you actually use on a daily basis, in rush hour traffic? Flooring a few times when you first get it feels magical, but like everything else, that feeling fades fast, and then you’ll just be flooring it to the gas station every wheel. And no matter how gravity defying, no SUV will ever replace a dedicated low profile sports car.

So is eco or comfort mode trash or something?! I find those modes to be fairly efficient in other vehicles (considering you’re literally cruising, not driving with a time constraint or utter haste)

[matowi]

For cruising, they should be fine, whichever way you want to judge. However, if you need to overtake or dart forward - switch to sport

[MystroX5]

Buy it. You will love it. It’s the most well rounded muscle/performance choice you can make. Understand, it’s like a dog on a chain if you want to obey speed limits so be warned.

[PunsGalore]

While the M50i isnt for me, the X5 M50i is a GREAT combo of speed/sporty AND also very luxurious - the quality and overall feel of the X5 is far superior to the X3, same with the 5 series compared to the 3 series.

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by PunsGalore

While the M50i isnt for me, the X5 M50i is a GREAT combo of speed/sporty AND also very luxurious - the quality and overall feel of the X5 is far superior to the X3, same with the 5 series compared to the 3 series.

That can’t be overstated.

[mfarrzhp]

Originally Posted by blake6551

I owned a 2022 X5 M50 and 2023 X5MC. There isn't an appreciable power difference between them IMO. Handling, ride quality and interior details are dramatically different, but so is the price. I loved both of them.

If you like stiff, sporty vehicles and the cost isn't an issue I'd get the M everytime. The seats for me were dramatically more comfortable as well.

Did you have the exec pkg, extended merino leather and B&W sound in your M50i? It’s those touches along with the nice 22” wheels that made me go with the M50i, in addition to our sDrive40i M Sport.

The massage/ventilated merino leather seats, ambient lighting in the speakers and the audio itself are significantly nicer than the sDrive40i. That said I’ve had the 40i for almost 4 years and still think it’s an excellent car.

These cars are for my wife and daughter, and my wife certainly doesn’t “need” or even use the V8, but it’s a blast when I drive it. If it was for me, I’d strongly consider the X5MC.

However, I like having the family luxury M50i, the high mileage 40i that I don’t have to worry about too much with my daughter, and then my M2 CS when I really want to go for a spirited drive on windy roads rowing my own gears.